One system for accomplishing the confinement of an animal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,178 entitled ELECTRODE DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRIC SHOCK GENERATOR CARRIED ON AN ANIMAL (the '178 patent), issued to McDade et al. The '178 patent and other similar conventional systems mount a receiver on a collar of an animal. The collar delivers a shock to the animal wearing the collar when the animal is in relatively close proximity to a perimeter antenna wire. This conventional system incorporates a battery supply inside the animal's receiver encasement. This approach, however, greatly increases the size and weight of the receiver encasement unit.
Another system for accomplishing the confinement of an animal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,198 entitled ANIMAL STIMULATOR (the '198 patent) issued to Curen, et al. The '198 patent incorporates one or more photovoltaic cells, battery management circuitry, support hardware for attaching the photovoltaic cells and battery management circuitry in the animal's collar, in addition to a conventional power supply and receiver. This additional circuitry greatly adds to the weight and size of the collar and increases the manufacturing cost of the unit.
Another conventional confinement system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,923 entitled TRANSPONDER CONTROL OF ANIMAL WHEREABOUTS (the '923 patent), issued to Janning. The '923 patent describes a confinement system that utilizes stationary and/or mobile transponders. The transponders are placed to determine the outer containment area of an animal or human. As with the aforementioned prior art, a receiver is mounted on a collar worn by the animal. The collar delivers a shock to an animal wearing the collar when the animal is in relatively close proximity of the transponders. This system also incorporates a battery supply inside the animal's receiver encasement. As such, this system exhibits the same disadvantages as the aforementioned conventional systems.
Yet another system for the confinement of an animal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,120 entitled ANIMAL TRAINING AND RESTRAINING SYSTEM (the '120 patent), issued to Brose. This system utilizes a centralized transmitter that broadcasts a predetermined radio signal. Unlike the other prior art, the animal must stay in the broadcast containment field. When the animal's receiver detects that the containment field is weakening, as the animal's distance from the transmitter increases, the animal's receiver administers a deterrent to the animal. This system also incorporates a battery supply inside of the animal's receiver encasement. As with the other systems, this greatly increases the size and weight of the receiver encasement.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electronic containment system in which the battery is separate from the receiver. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a separate encasement for each of the receiver and the battery so that the collar worn by the animal has a low profile. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a collar where the weight of the receiver and its associated components are more evenly distributed along the collar so that the collar it is more comfortable and less obtrusive.